Indicator for grease dispensers



Feb. 16, 1932. w, Lv THAYER 1,845,894

INDICATOR FOR GREASE DISPENSERS Fil ed Nov. 6, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

Feb. 16,1932. w L. THAYER 1,845,894

INDICATOR FOR GREASE DISPENSERS Filed Nov. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,lnvenTor. Warren L .Thu /er by/MWkM-f ATTys.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE WARREN L. THAYEB, OF HINGH AM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO WILFRED B. HATHEWSON, OF NORTH WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS INDICATOR FOR GREASE DISPENSERS Application filed November 6, 1980. Serialll'o. 498,891.

This invention relates to grease dis ensers of the type comprising a container or the grease, a pump within the container for pumping the grease therefrom and pumpopcrating mechanism, and particularly to a novel indicator which is arranged to be actuated by the pump-operatingmechanism and which gives visible indication as to the amount of rease which is being dispensed.

I n order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a grease dispenser embodying my invention with the upper part shown in section on the line 2--2, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fi 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial under side view 0 the cover with parts broken out to illustrate the indicating member;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig. 2.

In the drawings 1 indicates the grease container in the form of a drum, one end 2 of which is provided with an opening 3. This opening is designed to be closed by a suitable closure while the drum is being shipped.

The grease-dispensing mechanism herein illustrated is of the type which comprises a pump carried by and secured to a cap or closure member that is adapted to be attached to the end of the container after the closure for the opening 3 has been removed. Such cap or closure member is shown at 4 and it is arranged to be clamped to the container through the medium of suitable clamping screws 5. a

The pump for dispensing the grease is indicated generally at 6 and it is connected to the cap member 4 through the medium of a suitable bracket member 7, the construction being such that when the cover 4 is applied to the open end of the drum as illustrated in Fig. 1 the pump 6 will be located at the bottom of the container. The discharge pump has a. pipe connected thereto which leads to the closure 4 and communicates through an opening therein with a delivery pipe 8 that may conveniently be provided witha flexible portion, as is customary in grease dis ensers that are used for lubricating automo iles.

The pump, which ma conveniently be a gear pump, is shown as heing operated by a vertical shaft 9 which is journalled at its uper end in the cover 4 and is provided with a lievelled gear 10 which meshes with another bevelled gear 11 carried by an operating shaft 12 that is journalled in bearings 13 carried by the cover 1.

The shaft 12 is a crank shaft and it is provided with a handle 14 by which it may be operated. Both the pump and the umpoperating mechanism are thus carried 1y the cover 4, this being a common expedient in devices of this class. l

The parts thus far described are such as are usually found in pump dispensers and form no part of my present invention which relates to an indicator for indicating the amount of grease which is being pumped.

My improved indicator is carried by the cover member 4 and comprises an indicating member visible through a sight opening and which is operatively connected to the shaft 12 so that rotation of the shaft will actuate the indicator. Means are also provided for resetting the indicator to zero after each grease-dispensing operation without giving any movement to the shaft 12.

. he indicator is enclosed in a compartment 15 with which the cover 4 is rovided and which is closed by the removable plate 16. The indicator herein shown is in the form of a rotatable indicating disk 17 which may be graduated either in terms of weight or in terms of volume as desired. This disk is shown as carried by a drum member 18 that is .rotatively mounted upon a stud 19 that is fixedly carried by the cover plate 16. This drum is acted on by a spring 20, one end of which is attached to the cover plate at 21 and the other end of which is attached to the drum at 22, which spring tends normally to maintain the indicator disk in, and to return said disk to, zero position. This zero position is determined by a stop member 23 with which a stop projection 24 on the disk is adapted to engage.

the shaft 12 so that as the shaft is rotated the disk will be turned a proportionate,

amount.

The operative connection between the disk 17 and the shaft 12' includes a clutch device which is normally in engagement but which is adapted to be disengaged manually thereby to allow the drum 18' and indicating disk 1! to be returned to zero position by the spring 20.

The'drum 18 is provided with a head or disk member 26 which is provided at its periphery with a friction clutch member 27 that is adapted to frictionally engage a toothed member 28 mounted for rotation axially of the drum 18 and the teeth of which mesh with a worm 29 on the shaft 12. The gear 28 is normally maintained in clutching engagement with the clutch member 27 and for this purpose said gear is shown as carried on a shaft 30 which is situated centrally of the stud 19 and is capable of both rotating therein and moving axially thereof. This shaft 30 is acted upon by a spring 31 which surrounds the shaft, one end of the spring engaging a shoulder 32 on the shaft and the other resting on the bottom of a spring-receiving recess 33 formed in the stud 19 and in which the spring isreceived. The shaft 30 is provided with a head or finger piece 34 which normally projects above the plate 16.

The spring 33 thus tends normally to raise the shaft 30 thereby maintaining the gear 28 in frictional contact with the clutch member 27. If, however, pressure is applied to the head 34 and the shaft 30 will be depressed against the action of the spring 31 thereby freeing the gear 28 from the clutch member 27 and when this is done the operative connection between the shaft 12 and the indicator 17 will be disrupted and the indicator is free to be returned to zero position by the spring 20.

The parts are shown in full lines in their normal operative positions and assuming that the indicator disk 17 is set at zero it will be understood that as the shaft 12 is rotatedthe gear 28 will be rotated by the worm 29. The frictional engagement between the gear 28 and the clutch member 27 will rotate the drum 18 thereby rotating the indicator disk 17 This rotation occurs in a direction to cause the spring 20 to be woundup on the drum and thereby placed under tension. By observing the indicator disk 17 through the glass 35 the amount of grease which is being dispensed can be easily determined.

When one greasing operationhasbeen comthe indicator disk 17 with vpleted it is, of course, desirable to reset the indicator disk at zero for the next operation. This is accomplished by pushing downwardly on the head 34 thereby moving the gear 28 into the dotted line position Fig. 3 and disrupting the frictional engagement between said gear and the clutch member'27. As soon as this is done the tensioned spring 20 will return the drum and the indicator disk to zero position as determined by the engagement of the stop projection 24: with the stop member 23.

When the indicator has been reset the pressure on the finger piece or head at is released thereby allowing the tensioned spring 31 to raise the shaft 30 into the dotted line posltion and thereby re-establishing the clutching engagement between the gear 28 and the clutch member 27.

In orderthat the indicator may indicate properly it is essential that it should always e turned in one direction and I have, therefore, provided means for preventing the shaft 12 from being turned except in a forward direction. Said shaft has fastened thereon a ratchet member 36 which co-operates with a springjpawl 37 carried by the cap plate 16. This will allow free rotation of the shaft in an anti-clockwise direction Fig. 3 but will prevent rotation in the opposite direction.

' I claim:

1. In an indicator for grease dispensers, the combination with a pump-operating shaft, of a. rotary driving member geared thereto, and by which the shaft is rotated a rotatively mounted indicating member, means tending normally to turn said indicating member into zero position, means normally clutching the indicating member to the driving member whereby the indicating memberwillbe turned by the rotation of the driving member, and means to disrupt the operative connection betweensaid indicator member and said driving member, thereby to allow the indicator member to return to zero position.

2. In an indicator for grease dispensers, the combination with a pump-operating shaft, of a rotatively mounted indicator disk, a spring acting on said disk and tending normally to turn it to zero position, mally establishing a driving connection between said disk and the pump-operating shaft whereby rotation of the shaft to actuate the pump will turn the disk against the action of thespring, and manual means to disrupt said operative connection thereby to allow the disk to return to zero position.

V 3. In an indicator for grease dispensers, the combination with a pump-operating shaft having a worm thereon, of a rotatably mounted indicator disk, a spring connected thereto and tending normally to maintain said disk in zero position, a gear in mesh with said worm, a friction clutch device for connecting the gear to the indicator disk 11163115 IlOT- to Zero position.

4. In a grease dispenser, the combination with a pump-operating shaft, of a rotatable drum member, an indicating disk carried thereby, a spring connected to said drum and tending normally to return the disk and maintain it in zero position, a gear member meshing with the worm, a friction clutch member carried by the drum and normally engaging the gear thereby to establish a driving connection between the shaft and the indicator disk, and means to disconnect the gear from the clutch member thereby to allow the indicator disk to return to zero position.

5. In a grease dispenser, the combination with a pump-operating shaft having a worm, of a rotatable drum, a stationary stud on which the drum rotates, an indicator disk carried by the frame, a spring acting on said drum and tending to return the indicator disk to and maintain it in zero position, a friction clutch member carried by the drum, a gear meshing with the work, a shaft on which, said gear is mounted, which shaft is journalled in the stud but movable axially thereof thereby to connect the gear to or disconnect it from the friction clutch memher.

6. In an indicator for grease dispensers, the combination with a closure member adapted to be clamped onto the top of a grease dispenser, a pump-operating shaft rotatably mounted on said member, a rotary indicator disk mounted on said member, means tending normally to turn said disk into zero position, means normally establishing a driving connection between said disk and the pump-operating shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft will turn the disk, and manually-operated means to disrupt said driving connection and thereby allow the indicator disk to return to zero position.

7. In an indicator for grease dispensers, the combination with a closure member adapted to be clamped to the open top of a grease container, of a pump-operating shaft journalled on said closure member, a rotary indicator disk for indicating the amount pumped from said container at any one operation, a spring acting on said indicator disk and tending normally to turn it to Zero position, means operative normally to establish a driving connection between said disk and the pump-operating shaft, whereby ro tation of the shaft to actuate the pump will turn the disk against the action of the spring thereby to cause it to indicate the amount pumped, and manual means to disrupt said 1 operative connection at the end of the pumping operation thereby to allow said spring to return the disk to zero position while the pump-operating shaft remains stationar In testimony whereof, I have signe my name to this specification.

WARREN L. THAYER. 

